If that sounds like you, I’ve got good news. There are a ton of great gyms around that will fit the bill.

Two awesome options that you’ve probably seen around the neighborhood or near your workplace are Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness. I’m here to help you figure out which one is right for you.

In my ever-growing Gym Comparison series, I take two popular gym brands and break them down based on price, equipment, classes, vibe, amenities, and more. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of which one to join. (Though I always recommend taking an in-person tour of your local spot before you pull the trigger and sign a contract.)

In this piece, we’ll take a look at Snap Fitness vs Anytime Fitness.

Let’s go!

What is Snap Fitness?

Snap Fitness is a no-frills convenience gym with over 2,000 locations worldwide.

Chances are you’ve seen them in your area!

Founded in 2003 by Peter Taunton, Snap strips away a lot of the extra amenities of bigger box gyms and focuses on bringing you a streamlined and convenient workout experience.

Snap is known to be open 24/7 for members and has locations in Canada, Mexico, the UK, and many more countries abroad.

What is Anytime Fitness?

… 24 hour member access to the majority of its gyms, and over 3,000 locations! (Take that, Snap.)

You’ll find a lot of the same no-frills attitude here. Not a ton of amenities like pools and spas and tanning beds, but plenty of equipment for everyone and a great workout vibe.

Now let’s dive in to the nitty gritty on these two gyms.

Cost

Snap Fitness Cost: Snap Fitness is a franchise and, as such, each gym is owned and operated slightly different. Overall, based on my research, you can expect to pay somewhere around $40 per month plus a $99 startup fee.

You can get a slightly better deal by joining with a friend or your whole family.

Snap also offers a 30 day pass for around $9, so you can give your local gym a try without much commitment.

Anytime Fitness Cost: Again, pricing can vary greatly both in terms of total cost and how it’s broken down depending on which Anytime Fitness gym you join.

But my overall assessment is that you should expect to pay somewhere around $40 per month plus sign-up fees of somewhere between $80-100.

You can get a better deal by paying for the year up front or joining with your friend or partner.

To be honest, both of these gyms are a little on the pricey side for what they offer. But a big part of the value is in the late night hours and 24/7 access, which we’ll cover briefly below.

Hours

A huge part of what you’re paying for at both Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness is the ability to go to the gym 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Both Snap and Anytime offer 24/7 access for members.

As you can imagine, it’s expensive keeping a gym open all of those extra hours! Most other gym chains close around 10 or 11pm most nights.

At both gyms, your key fob will get you into the building at any time of the day or night. Staffed hours, however, are limited and vary by location.

Equipment

Snap Fitness: Equipment at Snap Fitness is really hit or miss and will vary by location.

Some Snaps are markedly smaller than others and simply pack in some cardio equipment, strength training machines, and a basic Smith machine plus some dumbbells.

Others have full power rack set ups, benches, and deadlifting stations.

You’ll have to visit your local location to know for sure.

Anytime Fitness: Anytime has a good reputation when it comes to equipment.

You’ll find plenty of cardio equipment here, as you will with most gyms, and you should have good luck with getting access to power racks, free weights, and heavy dumbbells, if that’s your thing.

Again, these franchises can really vary, so I highly encourage you to take a tour or get a trial membership to see for sure.

Classes

Snaps tend to be smaller and will usually only have 1-2 classes per day, or none at all on some days. But you should be able to find yoga, Zumba, pilates, and Silver Sneakers classes here.

Anytime Fitness: Anytime Fitness also offers group fitness classes to its members. Same deal here – you should be able to get access to yoga, Zumba, spin, cardio bootcamps, and more.

Check your local spot to see their schedule of offerings.

Pool/Spa Area

Neither Snap nor Anytime Fitness offer a pool or spa at any of their locations.

Bummer!

Showers

Snap Fitness: This is one of the only gyms I’ve ever seen that, for the most part, does not offer any showers or locker rooms to members.

I guess the idea is to save space, money, and keep the gym clean, but this is a major downside, in my opinion. A few Snap Fitness franchises have chosen to offer changing rooms, so check with your local Snap to find out for sure.

Anytime Fitness: Anytime has a traditional locker room and shower set up for members. Hooray!

Childcare

As far as my research shows, I can’t find any Snap or Anytime Fitness locations that offer any sort of childcare while you workout.

If this is really important to you, check with your local location or go with a slightly more robust gym like Life Time Fitness.

The Verdict

Anytime and Snap Fitness have thousands of locations and are both open 24 hours.

That makes them super, duper convenient if you’re looking to eliminate any excuses to skip a workout!

But there are some drawbacks to both of these chains. They’re pretty expensive considering they don’t offer pools or spas (and Snap doesn’t even have locker rooms!), but the convenience upside may be worth it for you.

Here’s how I’d make my recommendation:

You might prefer Snap Fitness if:

Your local Snap has the equipment you need

You’d prefer to not even deal with a changing room or locker room area

You can get negotiate a great price at your local Snap franchise location

About Me

Hi there! My name is Evan. I’m a dad and 30-something-year-old fitness enthusiast. I started this site to share all of the best information and products I could find on my way to better health and a stronger body. I hope it helps you, too!

Disclosure: I may receive commissions or advertising fees from products and brands mentioned on the Trusty Spotter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But I always stand by the research and recommendations that I provide here.